DSU graduate publishes romance novel

Chelsea Curran has come a long way from the young woman who did not like to read. These days, Curran is a published author.

Curran, a Dixie State College alumna who graduated in 2012 recently had her first novel published. “An Unseen Road to Love” is a contemporary romance novel published by Cedar Fort Publishing & Media. The book was released April 11.

All this from someone who didn’t enjoy the written word until attending DSC.

The idea for the book grew while Curran attended school at DSC, and this inspiration is written into the novel, as the main character Logan Atwood attends the college as well.

“The idea was started while I was going to Dixie,” Curran said. “It’s the classic ‘guy starts at college, trying to figure his way in life, ends up being successful, but loses a lot of his morality.' He ends up in a car accident, he is in a coma, (and) goes back five years to find out what his life could have been if he had made a different decision.’”

The 280-page book took Curran seven months to write, she said. She worked at honing her craft as a fiction writer for six years before the novel was completed. She also endured approximately 50 rejection letters before Cedar Fort Publishing & Media agreed to publish the book.

Curran said the feeling of accomplishment at having been published is exhilarating.

“Once I got that email that said I was accepted, it was one of the biggest accomplishments of my life,” she said. “To have it out now, to hold a copy in my hand, it’s like a dream come true and almost unreal.”

Curran said she was deeply influenced by her roommates who ignited her passion for reading and writing. One of those roommates was Savannah Dawson, who received her bachelor’s of science degree in nursing from DSC in 2012. Dawson said she was not surprised at Curran’s success.

“I don’t find it surprising because she had this idea for the book since we were living together six years ago,” Dawson said. “She’s drafted it and re-drafted it so many times. It’s so cool to see it come to fruition and being published.”

Dawson said she felt honored that Curran listed her as one of her inspirations. She said she especially appreciated that she has a cameo in the book, with the main character mentioning her name.

“That’s really fun,” Dawson said.

Another influence in Curran’s arc as a professional writer Stephen Armstrong, associate professor of English.

“It was a class that was different from other classes I had taken,” Curran said. “The feedback that I got was not overly critical but very encouraging. It was also a class where I got to be whatever I wanted to be and I was encouraged to use a lot of individuality. “

Armstrong said he was happy to hear about Curran’s success.

“Whenever I learn about a former or current student publishing their work, my heart lifts,” Armstrong said. “I can only hope that something I passed in terms of instruction may have helped. Of course the writer’s drive, application and talent are the true reasons behind this success.”

Curran currently works as a teacher in Mesa, Arizona, but hopes the publication of her novel will lead to being a full-time writer.

“I have to work on it for it to really take off,” she said.

Dawson said she thinks Curran will find much more success as a writer.

“I think she will go really, really far,” she said. “She has lots of great ideas and she’ll continue to go far.”